Pearl (I), II and III
}} The name Pearl was given by Rokuoh-sha and Konishiroku (the later Konica) to many models of rollfilm folders. Other articles deal with the 6×9 and larger models, and the Baby Pearl and Pearlette cameras (both using 127 film); this one deals with the Semi Pearl and Pearl for 4.5×6cm. Operation The successive models of Semi Pearl and Pearl show considerable variety, as is described below; but all share a design quirk that is likely to confuse somebody who is moderately accustomed to other folders but is new to any in this particular line. What are obviously the shutter-release button at the top of the body and the door-opening button at the top of the door are in fact the reverse of what they seem: the photographer opens the door with the button on the top plate or top housing, and releases the shutter with the button on the opened door. The viewfinder-only Semi Pearl Prewar and wartime period The Semi Pearl, released at the beginning of 1938, , p. 338, says that the Semi Pearl was featured in the new products column of the February 1938 issue of Asahi Camera, and that it was advertised in the same magazine from January 1938 and in Kogata Camera from February. Tanimura, "Pāru II", says April 1938. Lewis, p. 54, says 1937. is a 4.5×6 folder copied from the Ikonta A, with curved folding struts, unit focusing, a folding optical finder, a shutter release on the door (parallel and close to the hinge), a key to advance the film (to the bottom right, as seen by a photographer holding the camera horizontally), and a strap along the edge of the camera next to the take-up spool. The back is hinged to the left and has two red windows near the top, protected by a common sliding cover, to control film advance. The front leather is embossed SEMI PEARL in a rectangular frame and the folding struts are engraved with Konishiroku's logo: a five-petal cherry blossom containing the Japanese character 六 (the roku within both "Rokuoh-sha" and "Konishiroku"). The metal parts of the body are generally painted black, but some examples exist with chrome finish. A number of advertisements dated 1938 and 1939 In the June 1938 and January 1939 issues of Asahi Camera and in the August and December 1938 issues of Kogata Camera. All these advertisements are reproduced in , p. 82. show the chrome finish, and it possibly corresponds to the earliest cameras. One version has an Optor 75mm f/4.5 lens (designed by Konishiroku but manufactured by Asahi Kōgaku) and an Apus shutter with 10–100, B, T speeds ( ), another a Hexar 75mm f/4.5 lens and a Durax shutter with 1–100, B, T speeds ( ).Tanaka, "Nihon no supuringu-kamera: Konishiroku", p. 60. Prices are from advertisements dated 1938 and 1939, reproduced in , p. 82. Both lens and shutter are marked Rokuoh-sha. The company name was changed to Konishiroku in 1943, and the markings were changed accordingly. Miyazaki, p. 12–3, explains this for the Baby Pearl. It is similarly mentioned in Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten, p. 18. Given the circumstances of the time, the marking change was probably not instantaneous, and cameras engraved Rokuoh-sha were perhaps still sold after the war. At least one example has been observed with mismatched lens and shutter markings. After the war The production of the Semi Pearl was resumed between 1946 and 1948. It largely used stocks of older parts, at least at first. Postwar examples have Optor or Hexar lenses mounted on Apus or Durax shutters. All combinations are known to exist, the Hexar and Durax being the most common. Perhaps because of a shortage of parts or raw materials, some examples only have front-cell focusing. It is reported that the price in 1946 was . Lewis, p. 60. Slight modifications occurred during the presumably postwar production (the cameras marked Konishiroku). The frame of the SEMI PEARL embossing in the front leather was switched from a rectangular to a hexagonal shape. The back leather also received a KONISHIROKU embossing in a hexagon, perhaps at the same time. On the shutter plate, direct engravings of the Durax name and aperture scale replaced the small screwed metal plates. The Hexar Ser.1 lens name was replaced by the simpler Hexar a bit later, around lens number 37000 or 38000. Some examples of the Semi Pearl (with Konishiroku markings) have been observed with only one red window in the back, near the bottom, protected by a cover horizontally sliding under a metal plate. The back is exactly the same as on the later Pearl I, and these are probably among the last examples of the Semi Pearl. The existence of this variant indicates that not all the postwar Semi Pearl were assembled from stocks of old parts and that the production had effectively resumed, at least for some important parts. At least one example has been observed with a diamond-shaped CPO logo engraved in black in the standing leg. Example observed in an eBay auction. CPO stands for Central Purchasing Office and means that the camera was to be sold at an American military Post Exchange facility. http://static.flickr.com/91/244917300_30892eeb5f_m_d.jpg http://static.flickr.com/84/244920093_86596ca8cb_m_d.jpg http://static.flickr.com/93/244920091_2ab62aa7bc_t_d.jpg http://static.flickr.com/80/244920096_1c27616557_t_d.jpg http://static.flickr.com/80/244920098_d7a17a3e7a_t_d.jpg Postwar Semi Pearl, unit focusing Hexar lens, Durax shutter, Konishiroku markings. Pictures courtesy of Geoff Cliffe, Melbourne. Pearl and Pearl RS, with uncoupled rangefinder The Pearl (in retrospect Pearl I, first half of 1949 Miyazaki, p. 183, says March 1949, while Tanimura, "Pāru II", says April 1949. , p. 358, says that the Pearl was tested in the August 1949 issues of Ars Camera and Kohga Gekkan. ) has the same basic body as the Semi Pearl, with a top housing (simply inscribed "Pearl") for a viewfinder and an uncoupled rangefinder. The rangefinder is set by a knob above the top housing, and the distance read must be transfered by the user to the distance scale of the lens. Film advance is still by key. The back has only one red window and is similar to the last examples of the Semi Pearl. The camera retains the Hexar–Durax combination of the Semi Pearl, but now the Hexar lens is coated. There is still no flash synchronization.Tanaka, "Nihon no supuringu-kamera: Konishiroku", p. 60. For this and subsequent models: Konika-Minoruta-ten, p. 8. Presumably "Semi" was dropped from the name in view of the unlikeliness of a revival of any 6×9 folder (the prewar 6×9 Pearl had been rather unusual among Japanese cameras even when new, and even a modernized successor would probably have struck most photographers in 1949 as a bulky extravagance); the disappearance of the Baby Pearl may have been another factor. The Pearl RS (in retrospect Pearl I RS, but also simply inscribed "Pearl"; late 1950 Tanimura, "Pāru II", and Miyazaki, p. 128, both say October 1950. , p. 358, says that the Pearl RS and Pearl II are mentioned together in the November 1950 issue of Asahi Camera. The earliest advertisement is dated January 1951. ) has a Konirapid-S shutter (B, 1–500) with Kodak-type flash synchronization. An accessory shoe is added at the top right of the camera (as seen by a photographer holding it horizontally), the back latch is modified and the strap has disappeared.Tanaka, "Nihon no supuringu-kamera: Konishiroku", pp. 60–61; Uchida, "Hekisā 75mm no shikaku. The price in 1951 was . Advertisement for the Pearl RS and Pearl II published in the January 1951 issue of Camera Fan, reproduced in , p. 160. Pearl II and IIB, with coupled rangefinder The Pearl II was released together with the Pearl RS and maybe sold a little after Miyazaki, p. 128, says that the Pearl II and Pearl RS were released in October 1950, but gives January 1951 for the Pearl II on p. 183. , p. 358, says that the Pearl RS and Pearl II were mentioned together in the November 1950 issue of Asahi Camera. The earliest advertisement is dated January 1951. It is reproduced in , p. 160, and shows a price for the Pearl RS but not for the Pearl II. Uchida, "Konpakuto na Pāru RS", says that the Pearl II was released in 1951, the year after the Pearl RS. ; it is the same camera with a coupled rangefinder and inscribed Pearl II on the top housing. The focusing tab is modified and the focusing scale has disappeared from the front assembly. It is replaced by a combined distance and depth-of-field dial, placed under a window in the top housing, where the uncoupled model has a focusing knob for the rangefinder. In 1952 Miyazaki, p. 183, says April 1952. , p. 358, says that the f/3.5 lens is first advertised in the November 1952 issue of Asahi Camera. an f/3.5 Hexar option ( ) was added to the standard f/4.5 Hexar ( ). With the f/4.5 lens, the camera's dimensions open are 120×100×92mm (43mm closed); it weighs 580g. Tanaka, "Nihon no supuringu-kamera: Konishiroku", pp. 60–61; Tanimura, "Pāru II." In response to increasing competition from 35mm cameras, the Pearl IIB (still engraved Pearl II) was released in mid-1955 Miyazaki, p. 183, says April 1955. , p. 358, says that the Pearl IIB was reviewed in the issues dated July or August 1955 of many Japanese magazines. The first advertisements are dated August 1955. as a cheaper ( ) alternative to the II ( ). It retains the f/3.5 Hexar lens but the shutter is a Durax-S (top speed 400) and the focusing scale is back to the front assembly. There is still a depth-of-field scale above the top housing, but it must be turned manually. The Pearl IIB has one innovation: a PC rather than Kodak flash terminal.Tanaka, "Nihon no supuringu-kamera: Konishiroku", pp. 60–61. (At least one example of the Pearl II has been observed with this feature.) Pearl III, with auto-stop advance http://static.flickr.com/55/189875584_cd630d8772_m_d.jpg Pearl III L. Picture by Mech_for_i. The Pearl III (late 1955 Miyazaki, p. 183, says December 1955. , p. 395, says that the first mention in Japanese magazines was in January 1951 issues. , inscribed Pearl III above the top housing) adds "semi-automatic" (auto-stop) film advance: once the "start" line on the backup paper is lined up with a dot on the film rail, the camera calculates how far the photographer may wind the film before each exposure. The red window accordingly disappears from the film back. An advance knob replaces the advance key of the previous models, it contains a manually reset exposure counter. The III also substitutes a film-reminder dial (color, panchromatic, etc., as well as speed) for the depth-of-field dial of the II. It retains the Hexar f/3.5 lens and Konirapid S shutter of the II (although a small number are said to be fitted with Konitar lenses), but has the PC flash terminal of the IIB. The focusing ring is fitted with a concave tab and a depth-of-field scale.Miyazaki, Konika kamera no 50nen, p. 129 (the source for examples with Konitar lenses); Tanaka, "Nihon no supuringu-kamera: Konishiroku", p. 61. There are two later variants, which are also simply inscribed Pearl III and must be distinguished by looking at the lens. The Pearl IIIMX (1956 , p. 395, says that it was featured in the new products column of the May 1956 issue of Camera Mainichi. ) replaces the Konirapid S with a Seikosha-MX shutter. This adds X synchronization for electronic flash, becoming popular at around this time. In a time of increased competition in the industry, companies such as Konishiroku that had previously produced shutters for their own cameras found it more economical to buy them in from either Seikosha or Copal.Tanaka, "Nihon no supuringu-kamera: Konishiroku", p. 61. The Hexar lens on this model has a seven-digit serial number and is said to be an improved model (maybe recomputed). Miyazaki, p. 131. The Pearl IIIL (1957 , p. 395, says that it was featured in the new products column of the June 1957 issue of Nihon Camera. ) has two further innovations: a Seikosha-MXL shutter, using the light-value system, and a new amber coating for the lens.Miyazaki, Konika kamera no 50nen, p. 129; Tanaka, "Nihon no supuringu-kamera: Konishiroku", p. 61. When closed, the IIIL has the same dimensions as the II, and weighs 600g.Kawamata, p. 98. Pearl IV, with brightframe finder The Pearl IV (December 1958) is a radical redesign, with a completely different diecast aluminium body and an advanced design of projected frame finder. The door over the bellows is hinged on the right hand side (as experienced by a photographer holding the camera horizontally), as opposed to all the earlier models; the shutter release is still at the top of the door and near the hinge, it is thus pressed by the right hand whereas the earlier models had a left-handed release button. The diecast body pushes the weight over 700g. The housing for the finders extends almost the whole way across the top, and the accessory shoe is no longer next to it but instead above its centre. The Hexar lens and Seikosha-MXL shutter are inherited from the IIIL, but the focusing aid is no longer convex but instead a simple tab. There is double exposure prevention as well as auto-stop film advance and an auto-reset exposure counter. At , the IV was slightly cheaper than the IIIL (¥24,800). However, interest in folding cameras was waning fast, and production of this camera stopped after about six months and after only about five thousand had been made.Miyazaki, Konika kamera no 50nen, pp. 129–30; Tanaka, "Nihon no supuringu-kamera: Konishiroku", p. 61. The Pearl IV is now regarded as one of the finest cameras of this format. Konishiroku would never again attempt anything like it (or reuse the name "Pearl", which dated from 1909). The closest thing to a successor is probably the Fujica GS645 of 1983. The Pearl IV is often referred to as a rarity. This is an exaggeration: five thousand is not so few, and it is not the kind of device that even the ignorant will unhesitatingly throw into the trash. Examples are not particularly hard to find in the Japanese market; however, they are expensive by folder standards, now (2006) costing around three times as much as examples of the Pearl III in similar condition. Notes Sources and further reading In English: * * Pp. 544–5. In Japanese: * Items 169, 675–9, 1440–43. (See also the advertisement for item 168 and the picture on p. 20.) * Kawamata Masataku (川又正卓). "Konishiroku Pāru III" (小西六パールIII, Konishiroku Pearl III). Supuringu kamera de ikō: Zen 69 kishu no tsukaikata to jissha sakurei (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の使い方と実写作例, Let's try spring cameras: The use of and actual examples from 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4879560723 Pp. 98–9. About the Pearl IIIL. * Konika-Minoruta-ten (コニカミノルタ展, Konica Minolta exhibition). Exhibition catalogue. Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 2005. * Konishiroku Kamera no Rekishi (小西六カメラの歴史, History of Konishiroku cameras), vol. 10 (Autumn 1985 issue) of Kamera Rebyū Bessatsu: Kurashikku Kamera Senka / All about Historical Cameras. * Miyazaki Shigemoto (宮崎繁幹). Konika kamera no 50nen: Konika I-gata kara Hekisā RF e (コニカカメラの50年：コニカI型からヘキサーRFへ, Fifty years of Konica cameras: From the Konica I to the Hexar RF). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 2003. ISBN 4-257-12038-X. * Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten (思い出のスプリングカメラ展, Exhibition of beloved self-erecting cameras). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 1992. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.) P. 18. * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Nihon no supuringu-kamera: Konishiroku" (日本のスプリングカメラ Konishiroku, The spring cameras of Japan: Konishiroku). Kamera Rebyū Bessatsu: Kurashikku Kamera Senka / All about Historical Cameras, no. 8, Autumn 1986 (special issue on Supuringu Kamera spring cameras), 58–61. * Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Dentō aru kyorikei-rendō semi-han supuringu kamera Pāru II" (伝統ある距離計連動セミ判スプリングカメラ：パールII, A coupled-rangefinder 4.5×6 spring camera with tradition: The Pearl II). Kamera Rebyū Bessatsu: Kurashikku Kamera Senka / All about Historical Cameras, no. 35, Winter 1995 (special issue on Nihon no kamera 50nen Fifty years of Japanese cameras), 63. * Uchida Yasuo (内田康男). "Hekisā 75mm no shikaku ni osamatta sangaku-shashin: Konpakuto na Pāru RS" (ヘキサー75mmの視角に収まった山岳写真: コンパクトなパールRS, Mountain photography from the perspective of a 75mm Hexar: The compact Pearl RS). Kamera Rebyū Bessatsu: Kurashikku Kamera Senka / All about Historical Cameras, no. 76, Summer 2005 (special issue on Supuringu Kamera spring cameras), 32–5. Links In English: * Pearl RS & II by Anthony, aka antjam65, at his photo website * Pearl IIB and IV at The Classic Camera In Japanese: * Semi Pearl within a Konica page at Sarusuberi * Semi Pearl overhaul at Handmade and Classic Camera * Semi Pearl with sample pictures at Doru's blog * Pearl I at Kitamura camera museum * Pearl RS at Yukara's site * Pearl RS at infocam.co.kr * Restoration of a Pearl RS at Kan's Room * Pearl II in the Damono Suki blog * Pearl II at Bon's Homepage * Pearl II, III and IV within a Konishiroku page at Yume o hakobu shashinki * Pearl II (with sample photos) at Puppy's Island * Pearl and Pearl II at Konica Minolta "old and new" * Restoration of a Pearl II at Shiroto shashinki shūri kōbō * Pearl family, with pictures of the Pearl IIB, III and IV, at The Classic Camera * Pearl III at Gacha's Box * Pearl III (photo and short comment only) at Kurakame to dejikame monokuro * Restoration and sample photos from a Pearl III at Shiroto shashinki shūri kōbō Category: Japanese 4.5x6 viewfinder folding Category: Japanese 4.5x6 rangefinder folding Category: Konica Category: P